See what it'll be like living on this 4-month cruise sailing around the world in 2026 with one of the world's largest cruise lines
Brittany Chang
- MSC Cruises opened bookings for its four-month 2026 world cruise set to sail to 32 countries.
- Cabins range from $15,800 to $38,210 per person.
Several residential cruise ship startups have been postponing or failing to deliver on their promise of a never-ending global cruise. But that doesn't mean travelers who have bought into these aspirations have no other opportunities to spend extended time at sea aboard a ship.
A handful of recognizable companies operate annual world cruises. While they aren't exactly floating condominiums, these ships still sail for several months, allowing travelers to visit dozens of countries without boarding a single flight.
This includes MSC Cruises, which opened bookings for its 2026 world cruise aboard the MSC Magnifica on Wednesday.
Unlike any concept residential vessel, a cabin won't cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Instead, the price to sail ranges between $15,800 to $38,210 per person for an interior cabin and Aureau suite respectively, an MSC spokesperson told Business Insider.
Unlike most world cruises, MSC’s itinerary has four roundtrip embarkation options from January 4, 2026, through January 7, 2026.
But don't expect to board in Florida — MSC is a primary player in the European cruise market. Because of this, travelers will have to embark in either Civitavecchia and Genoa, Italy; Marseille, France; or Barcelona, Spain.
From there, the MSC Magnifica would spend the next four months sailing to 47 ports in 32 countries.
Its itinerary also includes seven overnight stays in destinations like Honolulu, Hawaii, and Manila, Philippines.
Throughout the 36,000-nautical-mile journey, MSC says the Magnifica and its up to 3,223 globetrotting travelers will cross the Equator twice.
After everyone has boarded, the ship is scheduled to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to Caribbean and Central and South American destinations like Willemstad, Curaçao, and Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.
The ship would then journey up the Pacific Ocean to US cities like San Francisco and San Diego, California.
Following a few days in the US, MSC says the ship will head into its next transoceanic crossing for the Australasia leg of the vacation. There, travelers would relax in warm weather destinations like Apia, Samoa, and Sydney, Australia.
The itinerary then shows the Magnifica sailing north to spend three weeks in Asia.
Travelers are scheduled to explore East and Southeast Asian countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Following this, MSC says the globetrotting travelers will be off to Middle East destinations like Muscat, Oman, and Aqaba, Jordan.
And after a two-day journey through the Suez Canal, the ship's final unique destination is set for the Greek island of Crete.
After over 100 days at sea, the ship would finally head back to the same ports travelers embarked on almost four months ago, concluding this around-the-world journey.
There are over 60 scheduled sea days with no stops.
If it's not obvious yet, this itinerary was not designed for the casual cruise goer.
People who can't stomach four months on a ship can instead book segments of this itinerary ranging from 32 to 47 days long.
During these extended sailing days, guests can explore the 964-foot-long ship's activities.
Imagine spending afternoons at the bowling alley, putting at the mini-golf course, or lounging around the indoor pool with a retractable roof.
The cruise ship also has the expected five restaurants, 12 bars and lounges, and a 1,200-person theater.
No need to pack 119 days of clothes. Guests can pay for laundry services.
At least food and drinks will be included in the fare. Hope you enjoy cruise ship buffets and wines — liquors and speciality restaurants aren't included.
If sailing around the world is on your bucket list, you’re not alone.
MSC's global itineraries have historically been a hit with travelers: Its upcoming 2024 world cruise is now sold out, according to the cruise line's spokesperson.
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